Tony Winner Karen Ziemba Stars in Lexington Theatre Company's 42ND STREET, Beginning Tonight

The brand-new Lexington Theatre Company is thrilled to announce that casting is complete for its inaugural production of 42nd Street. Tony Award Winner Karen Ziemba, will play Dorothy Brock, alongside other Broadway veterans and up-and-coming actors. 42nd Street is presented by Variety Live at The Opera House with Co-Producing Sponsor Kentucky One Health, and runs tonight, July 23, through July 26 at the Lexington Opera House.

Karen Ziemba received the Tony Award, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance of The Wife in Contact at Lincoln Center Theatre. Other Broadway credits include: Bullets Over Broadway, Chicago, Curtains (Outer Critics Circle Award, Tony nomination), Crazy For You (Joseph Jefferson Award), Never Gonna Dance (Outer Critics Circle Award, Tony nomination), Steel Pier (Tony nomination) and A Chorus Line. She also took over the leading role of Peggy Sawyer in David Merrick's original production of 42nd Street, playing opposite Jerry Orbach and James Brennan.

Joining Ziemba will be Matthew Shepard (Beauty and the Beast, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Wonderful Town) as Julian Marsh, Nicolas Dromard (Mary Poppins, Oklahoma!, The Boy From Oz; Jersey Boys National Tour; Wicked - San Francisco) as Billy Lawlor, and Darien Crago (City Center Encores' Lady Be Good & Paint Your Wagon, Irving Berlin's White Christmas National Tour) as Peggy Sawyer.

The Lex will present the 2001 Revival version of the show, featuring choreography by multiple-time Tony-nominee, Randy Skinner (42nd Street, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Ain't Broadway Grand), recreated and adapted by Mary Giattino (Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Nat'l Tours Billy Elliot, 42nd Street, City Center Encores' Lady Be Good). 42nd Street will be directed by The Lex Artistic Director, Lyndy Franklin Smith (A Chorus Line, The Little Mermaid), and Producing Director, Jeromy Smith, (Nat'l Tours of 42nd Street, Swing). Musical Direction will be by Joseph Jefferson Award Winner, Bradley Vieth. Brock Terry (University of Kentucky) serves as Resident Music Associate. Equity Production Stage Manager is Emily F. McMullen (The Huntington Theatre Company, Music Theatre Wichita, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.)

The cast will be rounded out by college students from many top-notch theatre, music and dance programs from across the country, as well as some of Lexington's favorite local talents.

Featured actors include Robert Parks Johnson (Abner Dillon), Michael Sheehy (Bert Barry), Rachel Marie Snyder (Maggie Jones), Justin Ostergard (Pat Denning), Sarah Shelton (Anytime Annie), Megan McLaughlin (Lorraine Fleming), Casey Wenger-Schulman (Phyllis Dale), and William Linder (Mac). Ensemble members include Caleb Dicke, Nathan Fister, Phillip Anthony Giandiletti, James Harvener, Alex John Johnson, Tyler Johnson-Campion, Ryan Lambert, Brianna Latrash, Elizabeth McGuire, Elise Mestichelli, Alexander H. Miller, Fiona Mowbray, Michelle Orren.

Sets (designed by Bruce Brockman) and costumes (designed by Debbie Roberts) are being rented from Music Theatre Wichita. Tanya Harper (University of Kentucky)is the Lighting Designer. John Ferguson (Lexington Opera House) is the Sound Designer. Joseph D. Sibley (Music Theatre Wichita, Maine State Music Theatre) is Wardrobe Coordinator. Kurt Alger (North Shore Music Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre) is Wig Designer. UK Theatre's Tony Hardin serves as Production Coordinator. Gretchen Shoot is Stage Manager and Abby Schroering is Assistant Stage Manager.

42nd Street performs July 23-26, at the Lexington Opera House, and is sponsored by Variety Live at the Opera House, Kentucky One Health, Central Bank, Hilliard Lyons and Elite Graphics. Performance times are Thursday-Saturday (7/23-7/25) at 8:00pm, Saturday-Sunday (7/25-7/26) at 2:00pm. For more information and to buy tickets or make a donation, visit the organization's website, www.lexingtontheatrecompany.org. Tickets may also be purchased at The Lexington Center Ticket Office, phone (859) 233-3535.

BIOS:

Karen Ziemba received the Tony Award, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance of The Wife in Contact at Lincoln Center Theatre. Other Broadway credits include: Bullets Over Broadway, Chicago, Curtains (Outer Critics Circle Award, Tony nomination), Crazy For You (Joseph Jefferson Award), Never Gonna Dance (Outer Critics Circle Award, Tony nomination), Steel Pier (Tony nomination) and A Chorus Line. She also took over the leading role of Peggy Sawyer in David Merrick's original production of 42nd Street, playing opposite Jerry Orbach and James Brennan. Her Off-Broadway and Regional Credits include: And the World Goes 'Round (Drama Desk Award), I Do! I Do! (Drama Desk nomination); 110 In The Shade and The Most Happy Fella at New York City Opera, Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare Theatre Company and Hartford Stage, Six Degrees Of Separation, Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound at San Diego's Old Globe,and many, many more. She has appeared in several episodes of the many Law and Order series, The Kennedy Center Honors in tributes to Angela Lansbury and Julie Harris, and in PBS' Great Performances - Sondheim: A Celebration At Carnegie Hall, My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies, and Gershwin at 100.

Matthew Shepard appeared on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast, The Scarlet Pimpernel and, playing opposite Brooke Shields, in Wonderful Town. He has toured the United States and Canada in Les Miserables and The Scarlet Pimpernel, and has performed throughout Europe in the title role of Maury Yeston's Phantom. Regionally, he appeared in the highly successful Sondheim Celebration at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, as The Soldier/Alex in Sunday In The Park With George, starring Raul Esparza. He has also been seen numerous times on "The Guiding Light" on CBS and has soloed with many orchestras throughout the USA, Canada and Europe.

Nicolas Dromard recently finished a lengthy run as Tommy DeVito in the National Tour of Jersey Boys. He was the final Actor to play Bert in the Broadway Company of Mary Poppins and was also seen in the San Francisco Company of Wicked, playing Fiyero. His other Broadway credits include Oklahoma! and The Boy >From Oz, as well as numerous Canadian and regional productions.

Darien Crago comes to The Lex, direct from the company of Holiday Inn, at the St. Louis MUNY. She also appeared in its World Premiere at the Goodspeed Opera House, Connecticut. She works frequently with Randy Skinner, having just performed his choreography in City Center Encores' Lady Be Good with Tommy Tune, and the revue All Singing! All Dancing! Irving Berlin in Hollywood at New York's famous 92Y, as well as the National Tour of White Christmas. She was recently involved in the developmental lab of a new version of the Irving Berlin musical Top Hat, staged by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli.

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